Sneaking Frogs
by tywysog
Summary: Jacin found frogs in the hall with his friend and agreed to play a mean trick. WinterxJacin


Winter cradled the frogs in her arms. The frogs breathed slowly, eyes bulging, uncomprehending of Winter's immense love. Some of her friends in her menagerie cooed at her in admiration while others napped in the early morning sunlight, dim and weak in its penetration through Artemesia's transparent dome. At age 11, Princess Winter had an impressive range of friends. Her first friend was Selene, but she became ashes. The second one was Ryu, who was currently sleeping in with his palms over his eyes to block out the light.

One frog- Apollo was his name-decided on sudden mutiny. He jumped from her arms and fell on to the cracked marble floor. "Apollo!" she breathed. Winter was considerate, and she did not want to yell lest she wake Ryu and her other friends. She half-skipped, half-tiptoed towards Apollo. With every tentative step Winter took, Apollo rebelliously jumped even farther. She did not like that Apollo was running away. "Apollo!" she whispered. "We didn't even start the game of tag!" She paused, and decided to release all her other frog-friends. It was only fair, after all. If Apollo got a head start, then the rest of them (Janie, Purple, Marco, and Lolo) ought to as well. They all collapsed on to the floor in unpleasant surprise after Winter dropped them.

In a dizzy excited rush, Winter started to countdown so they had a chance to get as far away as possible from her before she went after them. "10, 9, 8..."

One frog ribbitted in strong outcry.

Winter slowed her count. "7...6..."

A shrill shriek knifed the air. Winter's count died and her frogs started to lament in mournful ribbits at the sudden end to the game. "Your highness! Why are these animals _loose_?" Ms. Stefanie cried out in a mix of disgust and alarm.

Winter was silent in response.

Ms. Stefanie bent down and tried to pick up Apollo the Rebel, but Apollo's slimy tongue lashed out at Ms. Stefanie's petite pale hand. Ms. Stefanie yelped and drew back. Seeing Ms. Stefanie's discomfort and ostensible want for Winter's friends to be picked up, Winter went to collect Janie, Purple, Marco, Lolo, and Apollo. Janie and Purple allowed their collection, but Marco and Lolo had disappeared within the short time Winter released them. Seeing Ms. Stefanie's discomfited expression, Winter assured her "I'll pick them up. Don't worry." In Winter's surprise and sadness at their game not truly commencing, Winter had accidentally glamoured herself. Starry-eyed at Winter's beautiful glamour, Ms. Stefanie nodded obediently, took Winter's promise as indefatigable truth, and left Winter to her own devices. Winter picked the unruly Apollo up.

She then miserably looked around cages and pens, past fake and real flora and underneath mats and rugs. She peered into vents and craned her neck to look up at the old candelabra hanging from the ceiling whose candles were capped in bubbles that matched the windows of her menagerie. To her disappointment, Marco and Lolo were nowhere to be found.

Her new friends had left her.

* * *

><p>Lolo, disgruntled, attempted to jump in time with Marco. Lolo complained a lot in his croaky voice to Marco. "Can we <em>please<em> go back to Winter! I don't like...exercise." Lolo panted.

Marco, who was the more energetic of the two and jumped twice as high as Lolo, protested, "Lolo, we're in a castle! There weren't any castle's back in the forest! I want to explore!"

"Must we?" Lolo complained in a weak tone.

Somebody stepped out into the hallway. His footsteps resounded unnervingly and made the small frogs vibrate as if the footfalls were actually earthquakes. A big oaf of a human was now before them, scrutinizing them with enormous dark eyes and a calculating expression.

"I told you we should have stayed with Winter." Lolo whispered.

Marco said nothing, even though it was clear his brother Lolo was right.

* * *

><p>"Jacin!" Osbourne bellowed.<p>

Jacin came out at Osbourne's call. He looked stoically at Osbourne, although inside a surmounting annoyance with Osbourne was swelling.

"Frogs." Osbourne pointed at two small frogs on the floor.

"Good Osbourne." Jacin sarcastically lauded. "And here I was, thinking they were wolves."

Osbourne sidled over to Jacin and clapped his thin friend on the back. Osbourne was 2 years older than Jacin. At just 12 years old, Osbourne towered as if he were 16 years old. Jacin looked up at Osbourne when he clapped him on the back and did not even try to mask his annoyance now.

"I have an idea Jacin."

"Now that's rare." Jacin comment dryly.

Osbourne frowned at Jacin. He was starting to understand Jacin was making a concerted effort at being a stick in the mud. Osbourne waved the idea away and swiftly convinced himself Jacin was just joking. He released his hold on Jacin and picked up the frogs. They tried to scuttle away, but ol' Osbourne was hulking and overbearing. After their moment of cowering, the frogs' flinch was one second too late. They were now in Osbourne's grubby hands.

"I'm gonna make Thaumaturge Bautista pay." Jacin raised an eyebrow, recalling Osbourne's inexpression earlier that day when Bautista forced him to lick the hallway clean as punishment for obstinacy. Of course. Jacin should have known. None of them liked what the thaumaturges made them do, even if on the outside they looked unaffected.

"With frogs?" Jacin asked. Part of him was intrigued, part of him sensibly knew Osbourne was about to do something stupid.

Osbourne nodded proudly and stomped down the hallway in absolute pride and triumph.

* * *

><p>Winter had not given up on Marco and Lolo. With Apollo, Janie, and Purple safely napping, Winter set out to look for Marco and Lolo. They must have gotten lost.<p>

* * *

><p>Well after nightfall, synthesized by the darkening of Artemesia's dome, Osbourne set out for the thaumaturges' dormitories with Jacin in tow. Jacin was apprehensive about all this, but he was more curious about whether Osbourne would manage to unsettle Bautista. It was possible, however, Bautista's lack of expression was not a work ethic but his natural manner. If that was the case, Bautista may not even be miffed but would still seek to punish. Another case: Bautista would be affected but would not be vengeful. That was at best. Or he would be miffed but he would simply dismiss it. That would be okay. At worst, Bautista would be disturbed, and he would seek to punish the wrongdoers. His anger would make his punishment worse.<p>

It was a gamble.

The frogs quietly napped in a cardboard box Osbourne uncovered from somewhere. Two clumsily poked holes were on the top of the box so that the frogs would live to fulfill their mission.

The thaumaturge's dormitory had a level of grandeur that the apprentice guards' dorms did not have. Plush carpeted corridors lead to hotel-style hallways. Conveniently, each room had the thaumaturge's last name on the door. Their dorms were adjacent to the main court's rooms on the occasion members of the Queen's court needed to stay in the palace. Both Jacin and Osbourne kept quiet and out of sight, ducking into the side hallways if there was any sign of another person coming down the main hall. It took many heavy gleaming hotel doors and red carpeted hallways until they found a door labelled in royal curlicued handwriting "Bautista".

This was the beautiful part about being a guard. Guards had access to just about anywhere. If an emergency arose, guards would not have time to request access to a place. So, they had access ready before hand. Even as apprentice guards, they had access. After all, as the youngest and least skilled they were also the most expendable if an emergency were to arise. They were liable to be sent as the first to go, sacrificial soldiers on the front line sent to test the strengths of the enemy.

Osbourne activated the door open. He then quietly heaved it open while Jacin slipped in through the open crack with the frogs. Osbourne held the door open in fear closing it would wake Bautista.

Inside, the quarters were simple similar to the guards' dorms. The difference, of course, lied in the luxury of the thaumaturges' preset decor and furniture. The thaumaturges' furniture was some exotic dark wood, probably illegally shipped out from Earth. (Of course Earth's environmental laws were not heeded by the Lunar Queen.) The walls were designed with silvery patterns- intricate designs hinting to Luna's rich heritage. Runes were written into the curved rims of the bed, desk, and nightstand. There was a window in the far wall curtained with heavy drapes.

Jacin inhaled sharply.

The plan.

He drew closer to the snoring Bautista. One of his arms was poised over his eyes, as if Bautista had been trying to shield his eyes from some imaginary light from the ceiling overhead. His inexpressive face looked just as inexpressive while he was sleeping, as far as Jacin could tell from the minimal light coming from the hallway.

Right. The hallway. The door was still open, meaning if somebody were to come noisily down this side hall or even the main hall, Bautista would be awakened. Not to mention Osbourne was still holding it open, thinking Jacin would be done any time now. Jacin placed the sleeping frogs as carefully as he could into Bautista's shirt. When Bautista woke up, the stinky slimy frogs would awaken and immediately start to move in his shirt.

Too bad they couldn't stick around to witness his reaction.

Jacin slipped out and Osbourne gently let the door close. They dashed out, two rule-breakers in absolute triumph. The two split up at the entrance of the guards' dormitories. Osbourne went in first to return to his room. Jacin wandered farther away to discard the cardboard box. He went far away from the guards' dorms because, after all, this was evidence of their crime he had to get rid of. On his way, he met a distraught girl: The Beautiful Princess Winter.

"Are you okay?" He asked after registering her distressed expression. As soon as he said it, he mentally reprimanded himself. Who was he to be talking to Princess Winter? He was nobody. "Your highness." He hastily added.

Princess Winter gave a small smile that surprised Jacin. "I would be, except I have lost my friends." Her voice reminded him of chimes. Soft chimes blowing in the wind. He'd once heard the sound before. It was a part of a television show, but nevertheless beautiful. It made him wish there was wind on Luna.

"Your friends, um-" He returned her the smile to reassure her. "I can help you find them."

"You can?" Her hopeful look almost scared Jacin because he did not want to fail her and disappoint her.

He tried to convey some sort of certainty. "Yes."

Winter clasped her hands. It almost looked like she was praying, but really she was just thinking. She was a thinking angel, perhaps. "I have lost my friends Marco and Lolo. They're about this small," she indicated a small size with her fingers, "and they tend to ribbit a lot. They're brothers. Yellow in color."

Jacin's face drained to a deathly pallor. "Ah." Those where _her _frogs? He couldn't... he couldn't simply tell her he did not know. But if he told her, she'd know they'd taken them. And he'd have to go back to Bautista's in order to rescue them!

For some reason, he couldn't lie to her.

"I know where they are." His voice was utterly heavy and shamed. "I'm sorry, but I do."


End file.
